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Although scorpions can make great pets when properly housed and cared for, most people don't want them crawling uninvited in or around their houses. You could buy chemical products to keep them away, but why bother when there are numerous natural solutions?

Steps

1

Catch and release. While this method may not be effective against scorpion infestations, it works well if you just have the occasional unwanted 'guest'. Scorpions tend to be found around water sources, so a great place to look with care is around your sink, shower recess, or bathtub in the bathroom, and around similar wet areas in the laundry and kitchen. If you find a scorpion, it's just a matter of covering them with a wide enough plastic container, sliding a piece of cardboard under the container to cover it, and then transporting the 'guest' outside.

If you have a bug catcher, consider using that device instead of the plastic container and cardboard sheet.

If you don't want to return the scorpion to the wild, humanely kill it quickly by a swift crush with the boot. Use a fly swatter to collect the squashed body. However, consider returning the scorpion to its natural habitat rather than killing it because it is a beneficial predator.

2

Fix holes and cracks to make entering the home less inviting.Caulk around all holes and other entrance possibilities where your pipes and other plumbing enters rooms in your home. Start from the basement upward, and seal all the areas around pipes, drains, fittings, walls, vents, etc., where a scorpion might gain access to the house. This includes ceiling fixtures because scorpions can climb.[1]

Pour bleach down the drains of your septic system. Do this on a weekly basis if you have noticed scorpions crawling up the drain to gain access to your home. Use 2 tablespoons weekly to deter the crawling in.

Look outside too. Check the mesh over the dryer vent and any holes around it. Check everywhere that cables, wires, and pipes enter the house, as well as for any holes in the walls, doors, and windows. Your heating and air-conditioning outlets should also be checked.

Install weather-stripping around loose-fitting windows and doors. Be sure that all window and door screens are in good conditions, free of holes or tears.

Fix leaky faucets, pipes, and any other dripping sources of water.

3

Let your friendly spiders live. Allow non-harmful pest-catching spiders to reside in your home. They may well try to kill scorpions that come near them. However, be sure to remove insect sources of food such as crickets, cockroaches, cicadas, and ants.[1]

4

Plant lavender.[2] You can plant it around the perimeter of the home, buy dried plants, or get lavender essentials oils to use when cleaning and refreshing your home. The fresh plants seem to have a better effect than oils or dried plants though. It's quite easy to grow and maintain, and smells wonderful.

Citrus is also considered to be another deterrent. You could grow citrus in pots near your entrance areas and use citrus oil cleaners in bathroom and other wet zones of the house.

5

Clear up the yard. Move woodpiles out of, and away from, your home. Another natural method is to get rid of scorpion hiding places. They love piles of firewood, rocks, and lumber, and can also be found in compost heaps. If it is an option, move these scorpion havens further away from your home, you should have less intruders.

Keep the lawn mowed at all times, and prune bushes and overhanging branches to keep these away from your house, garage, and shed walls.

Rest garbage containers and compost containers on bricks or other items that push them up above ground level. Add mesh to the base of the compost bin; this will also keep out rodents.

6

See if a pet will fix the situation. Cats have been known to catch and kill scorpions around the home, and some dogs will as well. You may think it as cruel, but it is a very natural method to rid your home of creepy-crawlies. However, not everyone likes this method for fear of harm to the pet, so don't allow this to happen if the scorpion is really venomous and could harm your pet (most scorpions in the USA are not highly dangerous, see "Tips" for dangerous zones); usually it's okay provided the pet is naturally fast and predatory.[1]

Never force a pet to catch a scorpion. Only some pets will innately and willingly go for a scorpion, and will have the courage to do what is needed.

Set your chickens onto eating up the bugs that scorpions consider to be food. Chickens aren't fussy – they'll also munch up a scorpion that crosses their path.[1]

7

Consider some night hunting and shifting. If you're willing to manually shift scorpions from your yard, this can be done at night. Scorpions fluoresce under ultra-violet light, so use a black light or an ultra-violet light to look for them. Also, wear sturdy boots and use long barbecue tongs to collect the scorpions into a container for removal from your yard. Release them into the local desert, forest, grasslands, or wherever their natural habitat is rather than killing them because they are beneficial to the ecosystem.

It depends on the scorpion, but most scorpions in the US are about as venomous as a bee or wasp. A sting would be enough to hurt, but unless you are allergic, most will not do any lasting damage. The only deadly scorpion in the US is the Arizona bark scorpion.

Yes, the only reason they may not is if they are trying to escape the elements. Usually if there is no food, no place to nest, and nowhere to hide, they still may pass through, but they won't stay. As stated above, use lavender or citrus, and weatherproof windows, doors and cracks so they can't get in. Also, pour a little bleach down your drains to keep them from crawling up. Check your washer and dryer area, especially the mesh on the exhaust from the dryer.

I have a very large palm tree on my patio close to the house that I would like to have skinned, but am afraid this will bring out the possible scorpions living in the bark. I am in Arizona. Should I worry?

Community Answer

They do like to nest in them, especially at the top if not maintained and cleaned. Many nests have been found there. Get a decent black light (good range/strength) and go to the palm tree at night and see. I've only seen 20 - 40 in one, but I've heard of nests of a hundred in a palm tree.

Tips

It is not safe to leave things on the floor by the door ! If so make sure to shake it or look inside before relocating them to another room.

You must always look under old things or things in your shed!

Checking objects you wear, sleep in, and carry is always sensible, especially when camping in scorpion-infested areas. Look inside shoes, gloves, bags, sleeping bags, tents, etc., before using or wearing and shake out any scorpions you find.

If your kid was stung, take him or her to the hospital right away.

Be mindful of the useful nature of having scorpions around. As predators, they will eat other nuisance bugs in your yard, so try to keep the balance by being careful to keep them out of your home but let them do their thing where it's not going to interfere with your home life.

Mulch can be a hiding place for scorpions. As a gardener, you will have to make a decision between the method for keeping your plants moist and your scorpion population down. It can be done but you will need to be both vigilant and consistent. It is recommended that you do not place mulch around the house walls and that you aim to keep the soil around your house walls dry; this will act as a deterrent to scorpions. Keep your gardening away from the house area and always wear tough gloves when touching soil and plants.

There are organic pest control products available on the market for ridding your home of scorpions. Ask the relevant distributor for more information.

Contrary to popular belief, most scorpions are relatively harmless. The sting of most scorpions is usually painful (in the realm of a wasp or hornet sting),[1] but they are rarely fatal. However, you should be aware of the nature of the scorpions you're living around and know how poisonous they are. And even if they're relatively harmless, don't take unnecessary risks, especially with children around.

The world's most dangerous scorpions live in North Africa, the Middle East, South America, India, and Mexico.

Anti-venom is available for various scorpions, including the Arizona bark scorpion, which has a painful sting.

Warnings

Avoid storing firewood inside your home. Wear gloves whenever picking up firewood – not only scorpions make their home in firewood, so this is always a sensible precaution.

When fixing your house to prevent the entry of scorpions, be prepared to meet some. That way, being prepared means you can avoid being stung.

When handling scorpions, it is important to remember that they carry their young on their back. Be cautious, as grabbing a scorpion that is carrying its babies can leave you exposed to as many as 30 baby scorpions gaining access to you.

Scorpions "molt", meaning they shed their exoskeleton when its body becomes too big for it, then grows another one. Once the old exoskeleton is removed, a scorpion may not fluoresce under UV light for days at a time. Luckily, they are fairly inactive when molting, and typically hide. But not always. So always be on the lookout for the stealthy critters!

Some scorpion infestations are just too much for natural solutions to clear up. If you try all of these methods, and you're still experiencing scorpion infestations, try calling in a professional exterminator. However, even here you can request an organic professional pest extermination process to be used, so be sure to ask.

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Co-authors: 18

Updated: May 3, 2019

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RC

Robert Crist

Oct 15, 2016

"I found your article about scorpions very informative and useful. I find scorpions in my house quite frequently and always resorted to killing them because I had no knowledge of their purpose in life or how to humanely eliminate them. Now that I have been very well educated by your article, I can implement the measures you suggested without the resort and guilt of blatantly killing them. Thank you for providing me with the quality information I needed to resolve the issue."..." more

DV

Donna Vasquez

Jun 10, 2016

"Just moved from California about a month ago and didn't even think about insects or the blazing heat. So the reason I'm on your web site is a week ago I encountered a scorpion in the kitchen light fixture. Thank goodness the fixture was plastic and rounded. I'm looking to purchase a home were I can have my crops and animals, so I'm doing my homework on how to get rid of or keep away insects, especially scorpions, without harm."..." more

DW

Dona Wagner

Aug 10, 2017

"Very helpful, we get them in the house every once in a while. Just got a few baby ones, the other day. I wonder how they had there baby's, now I know. Time to spray, and change the bug strips. Thanks for all the info."..." more

Rated this article:

SP

Saundra Pratt

Jul 5, 2016

"Great to know the more eco-friendly ways to rid scorpions. I have them inside my home (very hot summer near Las Vegas, NV). This is the worst ever! Yuck!"..." more

PL

Pamela Lou

Aug 28, 2017

"Hadn't thought about mulch as a hiding place for scorpions. Will need to replace what I have in my walking paths around the house with some pea gravel."..." more

Belinda Mach

May 27, 2017

"This information was very beneficial. I now have knowledge on these little critters."